Poison
by Broken Stone
Summary: Sequel to Crossed Wires. Ryan's back at work, but is ignoring potentially fatal warning signs.
1. Pain

This is a short sequel to Crossed Wires. Ryan is back at work after his injuries, and a few things are getting in the way of his being able to cope. There are also some complications that he is trying to ignore…with potentially fatal consequences. I decided to post this up because it's finished, so I might as well.

**Pain**

The shrill buzz of an alarm clock blared through the bedroom. A mound of duvet shifted aside, a hand appear and brought a fist down upon the clock which cut off its wailing abruptly. A few choice phrases came from beneath the duvet.

Ryan threw the covers off and quite literally fell out of bed. He clambered up, rubbing sleep from his eyes and stumbled across to the door, trying to find the bathroom in a sleep dazed, vaguely confused manner.

It was the same now every morning. A bad night's sleep, a painful waking up and a series of minor injuries on his way out of his apartment work. Mainly from stubbed toes, burned fingers from accidentally spilling coffee and the occasional head hitting the table as he fell asleep over breakfast.

It was a wonder to Ryan that he actually managed to get dressed in the morning and so far, hadn't arrived at work missing some vital item of clothing. Earlier in the week he had turned up with mismatched socks, which had afforded Eric hours of amusement, but so far that had been it.

His head was hurting. He poured himself some coffee, double-checking that he had everything he needed for the day. The coffee was hot and burned his tongue. He didn't bother to eat, he'd get something later. The headache wasn't shifting but he was able to ignore it. He'd been having bad headaches for quite some time.

He coughed and almost choked on his coffee. He gave up and poured it down the sink, still coughing. Great, now it looked like he was getting the beginnings of a cold. Just what he needed right now.

Ryan glanced at his watch. On time. He left his apartment, locking it behind him. As he went to put his keys in his pocket, they slipped out of his fingers onto the floor. As he bent to pick them up, pain lanced through his head. He cried out and grabbed his keys, leaning against the wall for support.

'That's it,' he muttered under his breath. 'Tomorrow, I get the afternoon off and go to the doctor.'

Not that he would, he refused to admit to himself. He'd been vowing for the past week he'd go and see his doctor about his increasingly painful headaches, but so far he hadn't. His last appointment had been a little after he had come out of hospital and the doctor had been pleased with how quickly Ryan had recovered.

He hurried down the stairs to his car. A new car. Eric had offered to sell his old one, an offer which Ryan had agreed to with a large degree of relief. He was unable to drive it, even after he had got given it back from evidence. The smell of his own blood permeated the entire car, even though it had been cleaned several times. Eric had got a decent price for it, had refused to take any money as payment for getting rid of it and Ryan had got a new one.

He got in and doubled up over the steering wheel, coughing violently. His head was pounding and his back and arms were hurting_. Definitely a cold coming, if not flu_, he thought miserably. _Just what I need right now._

Ryan started the car and drove to work. Resolutions of going to see his doctor had flown from his head. No, all he needed was a few days off, get over this cold and then he'd be fine.

* * *

'Morning,' Valera greeted Ryan cheerfully. 'How are you feeling?'

'I think I'm coming down with something,' he said, walking with her into the lab. 'How are you?'

She smiled. 'I'm fine, thanks,' she said.

Ryan blinked, wondering what he'd done to deserve such a delighted smile. His train of thought was derailed when Horatio stepped out of his office and said, 'Morning, Ryan. You're in the trace lab today, there are some samples for you to run.'

'All right,' Ryan said. 'I'll get onto it.'

He made his way into the lab, where Calleigh was examining some results. She looked up and smiled at him. 'Morning,' she said.

'Morning – ' he began and then winced in pain, a hand going to his stomach. He smiled weakly at Calleigh who was looking at him in concern. 'I'm fine,' he said quickly.

'You don't look it,' she said. 'In fact, Ryan, you look terrible.'

'Thanks,' he said dryly.

'You've looked terrible for a few days,' she said. 'Have you seen your doctor?'

'You know the hours I work,' he said impatiently. 'You think I have time to see my doctor?'

'Go see a doctor,' she said. 'Before I set Alexx on you.'

Ryan ignored this last comment. 'So, what can I do?'

'Do?' she said, looking confused.

'I'm confined to the lab,' he said shortly.

Calleigh frowned, then understood. 'You failed your shooting.'

'I didn't even take it,' he said. 'Horatio says I take it when I'm ready, not before, but until then I'm confined to the lab.'

'If it makes you feel any better, we all understand why,' she said gently.

He smiled. 'Thanks. It does.' He hesitated. 'I am sorry, though. I know you and Eric are working hard to cover my back – '

'Ryan,' she said, stopping him. 'We are doing it because you need us to. You're not putting your work onto other people – '

'Yes, I am.'

'Fine, if that's how you want to see it. You have a reason for not being in the field. Eric, Horatio and I all understand why you don't want to be near a gun at the moment. Of all people, I understand that,' she added for extra emphasis.

He smiled again, a better smile this time. 'Thanks, Calleigh.'

'You're welcome. See you later.'

'You out on a case?' he called after her.

'Yeah,' she called back. 'Just your usual, run of the mill murder.' She waved as she walked away.

Ryan sighed, a little disappointed that he was stuck in the lab. Still, the fact that he couldn't quite face handling a gun at the moment told him very emphatically that he was not yet ready to go back into the field. He swallowed his disappointment and turned to his work for the day.

* * *


	2. Worries

**Worries**

'How are you feeling?'

Ryan tried to hide his irritation. 'I'm fine, Sandy. I told you, I'm fine.' He turned around, holding his phone against his ear balanced on his shoulder. 'You know, you don't need to keep ringing me.'

'I'm worried about you.'

'I only nearly died,' Ryan said lamely. 'It wasn't fatal or anything.'

'What are you talking about, Ryan?' she asked with some annoyance.

'Nothing,' he said, sighing. 'Look, I have to go. I have a massive pile of work here. You have no idea how busy we are here at the moment. It's like half the people in Miami have been murdered in the past two days.'

'I'll talk to you later, then,' she said. 'Bye, Ryan.'

'Bye.' He ended the call and switched the phone off, rolling his eyes. Whilst his relationship with his family, especially his sister, was mending, if it could be called that, the constant stream of telephone calls asking if he was all right, if he needed anything, was getting tiring. However, he wasn't complaining much just yet. The old wounds between him and his family were only newly healing and he didn't want to risk breaking them open again right now.

He sighed and picked up another evidence bag. He loved his job. But now he was bored. He enjoyed the variety of the job, of all the different jobs they did, of the being in the field and in the lab. Being stuck in the lab without any choice was frustrating and he was getting impatient. The same old pieces of evidence over and over again.

Ryan examined the evidence and resisted the urge to drop it on the floor and tread on it.

Fortunately, there was an intervention in the shape of Eric.

'You want something more interesting to do?' Eric inquired.

Ryan looked disappointed. 'I would love something more interesting to do but do you see my work for the day? I'll be lucky if it takes me a week.'

'Tell you what,' Eric said, 'forget it.'

Ryan laughed. 'Why not? What do you want me to?'

'Come this way.' Eric beckoned and led Ryan off through the lab until they came to one of the large rooms where there was the crumpled remains of a car. 'Fancy processing this for me?'

Ryan grinned. 'Eric, you're amazing. Something actually interesting. I'll have fun processing this. You want to fill me in on this?'

'RTA,' Eric replied. 'Think there might be something else going on. Car veered off of the road for no apparent reason, so we're investigating. Alexx is going to perform the post-mortem as soon as she's finished on the body she's working on right now.'

'Okay.' Ryan regarded the car with a delighted expression. 'I'll say it again. Eric, you're amazing.'

Eric grinned. 'I take it you're pleased.'

'I think you may have just saved my sanity,' Ryan said, gazing at the wrecked car in delight. 'This is great – not that someone has died,' he added hurriedly. 'I was just getting ready to start breaking the glassware.'

'And we don't want that again,' Eric agreed with mock seriousness. 'Anyway, I have yet another call out on a potential homicide so I will see you later. Have fun.' He waved and left.

Ryan surveyed the car for a minute, silently examining it. Crushed, a total write off. He wasn't surprised the victim driving it had been killed. He smiled grimly and pulled on his gloves.

Time to get to work.

'Hey, Ryan.'

He straightened and yelped in pain as he did, a razor sharp flash of pain searing through his stomach. 'Ow,' he hissed angrily, turning around.

Alexx watched him with some concern. 'Something wrong?'

'Think I just pulled a muscle,' he said with a grimace. 'Did you want to speak to me?'

She ignored the question and regarded him with an expression of worry. 'Are you all right?' she asked. 'You don't look too good.'

'I think I might be coming down with a cold,' he replied, stepping away from the car.

Alexx looked unconvinced but didn't push the matter. 'You want to come and witness this autopsy?' she asked. 'Eric still isn't back from his latest case, Calleigh is working on another one and so is Horatio. Someone should be there.'

'Sure. I've finished processing the car. I'll just drop these down to trace and DNA and then I'll be there.'

'Good. I'll be in the mortuary.'

Ryan dropped off the evidence he had collected into the labs and was making his way to the mortuary when Eric walked up.

'How's that car going?' he asked.

'Processed,' Ryan replied. 'I was just going to go and observe the autopsy – unless you want to?'

'Unfortunately, I have other evidence to process,' Eric said. 'You're okay, go on. Just keep me informed, right?'

'Okay.'

'Was there anything wrong with the car?' Eric asked.

'Nothing,' Ryan replied. 'I checked everything – the car was in perfect condition. Nothing wrong with the tires, the brakes, nothing.'

'So, we're looking at the victim,' Eric said.

'Yeah. I'll let you know if Alexx finds anything, okay?'

'Okay.'

Eric went on his way and Ryan went down to the mortuary. As he stepped through the door a wave of dizziness swept over him and he had to grab the doorframe to stop himself from falling. As Alexx looked around, he righted himself and gave her a quick grin. 'Tripped,' he said.

She frowned at him and then turned her attention to the body of the young woman lying on the table. 'Meet Ms Alicia Klein,' she said formally. 'Victim of the car accident Eric's got you helping him with. Was there anything wrong with the car?'

'Nothing,' he said.

'So there has to have been something wrong with her.' Alexx sighed. 'You're too young to be here, sweetie,' she said to the dead woman. 'Let's see if we can find out what put you here.'

'You got her effects?' Ryan asked.

She gestured to an evidence bag as she began the autopsy. Ryan examined the contents. 'Wow,' he said. 'This is one amazing ring. Engagement?'

Alexx nodded. 'Looks like someone is missing their fiancé. That's one big diamond, too.'

'I'll have it checked out,' Ryan said. He examined the rest. Opening her purse, he found an ID. Checking her mobile phone, he found several numbers.

'I'm going to go and have these things checked and processed,' he said to Alexx. 'I'll be back soon, all right?'

'All right, honey,' she said amiably. 'We'll both still be here when you get back. Hopefully, I'll have something to report.'


	3. Infection

**Infection**

'Have you got any results?' Ryan asked Alexx some time later when he returned. 'I contacted her fiancé, he's on his way now. He'll formally ID the body, I guess.'

'Actually,' Alexx said, 'I have got something for you. Take a look at this.' She beckoned for him to follow her over to the body.

He looked and winced. 'Couldn't you have warned me, Alexx?' he asked, swallowing.

She smiled. 'Sometimes, Ryan, you really are a wimp.'

Ryan gave her a dirty look. 'Alexx. Her chest is open. I can see her heart. What did you expect me to say?'

'What did you expect to see?' she inquired. 'This is an autopsy, not a picnic.'

He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. 'Thank you very, very much for that image, Alexx. I think I'll skip lunch today.'

'Anyway,' she said with a smirk. 'I thought you should take a look at this.'

'You found out how she died?'

'I did indeed.'

'Why couldn't you just tell me?'

'This is educational, Ryan. Be educated.' She beckoned for him to come closer. 'Look at that.'

'Right.'

She looked at him. 'Ryan, you have your eyes closed.'

'Just building up to it.'

She smacked him on the back of the head. 'Big tough guy like you,' she said disapprovingly. 'Take a look at the heart, please.'

'Yes, mummy,' he muttered and braced himself to look at the heart. Alexx carefully lifted it out of its cavity and showed it to him. He frowned and forgot all his protests. 'Hey, what's that?' He looked up. 'What is it?'

'Poor baby has a hole in the heart,' Alexx said.

'A hole in the heart?' he repeated. 'Is that what she died of?'

'Sort of. She actually died of endocarditis.'

'What?'

'I found that she's had some recent dental work.'

'What does that have to do with this?'

'The bacteria that causes endocarditis resides in places like the mouth and respiriroty tracts,' Alexx explained. 'The dental work she's had put the bacteria into her bloodstream and it lodged in the defect in her heart.'

'Aren't there precautions against that?'

Alexx nodded. 'Antibiotics are usually prescribed, but she wasn't taking them. Check her health insurance, maybe she couldn't afford them.'

'A woman with an engagement ring with a diamond that big?' Ryan said. 'Hard to believe, but I'll find out. So, she died of endocarditis.'

'Damaged her heart valves,' Alexx replied. 'My guess is that it was acute, developed very quickly and she didn't have time to see a doctor about it. She suffered from heart failure.'

'Right at the wheel of her car,' Ryan said softly. 'That's terrible.'

Alexx nodded. 'Yes, but I suppose there's worse things that could have happened. Poor baby could have been murdered.'

Ryan nodded silently. 'I guess I should go and tell her fiancé what happened.'

The door opened and Eric looked in. 'Any news?'

'Yeah, she died of heart failure,' Ryan said. 'I guess that's what you can call 'natural causes,' he added rather bitterly. 'It's likely she didn't even know she was suffering from endocarditis. Alexx says it usually developes slowly, but it can develope very quickly and kill very quickly if it isn't treated. She had an appointment with her heart specialist at the end of this week. Chances are they would have found it.'

'And she might have lived,' Eric said.

Ryan nodded. 'If only, right?' he said wearily.

'You want me to talk to her fiancé?' Eric asked.

'No, I will,' Ryan said.

'Fair enough. You did do most of the work. Thanks, by the way.'

'Why thanks?'

'Because it means it's one case that gets solved quickly. I have a murder on my hands now.' Eric looked at his watch and groaned. 'Too much to do, too little time to do it in.'

'Anything I can help with?' Ryan asked, waving at Alexx as he followed Eric.

'Not at the moment.'

Eric grinned. 'Get back to work, Ryan.'

'Thanks,' Ryan muttered and slouched his way through the lab.

* * *

Ryan had a terrible afternoon. He had to tell the man that his fiancé was dead, and what she had died of. It had been emotional. Ryan had felt so terribly sorry for the man and felt awful for being the bearer of such tragic news. He took the man down to the mortuary after informing him of exactly what had happened and had left him in Alexx's capable and sympathetic care.

Then, when the man had left, he had gone back to his desk. The pile of work on the counter was depressing. He sat down and grimaced, two twin bolts of pain slicing into his stomach and into his head. He sighed and reached for the bottle of water he had brought in, drank it down in the hope it might help get rid of the headache. He was feeling very tired and slightly sick, and his arms were hurting. He rubbed his head, feeling slightly dizzy.

'Damn this stupid cold,' he said under his breath and got up, wincing in pain. 'All right, that's another sample done,' he said to himself. 'Next one…oh, how much fun I'm having – ow!'

He doubled over, gasping at the flares of hot pain across his stomach.

'Something wrong?' Valera asked him from the door.

'Yes,' Ryan said, straightening. 'Just a pulled muscle, I think.'

She gave him an odd look. 'Alexx wants to see you, when you have a few minutes.'

'Okay,' Ryan said and frowned. 'What about? I just saw her.'

'Well, she wants to speak to you again,' she replied.

'You have no idea what about?'

'If I did, Ryan, I would tell you,' she pointed out.

'True,' he said. 'Okay, I'll go and see her, as soon as I finish what I'm doing.'

* * *


	4. Collapse

**Collapse**

'You look ill,' Alexx told Ryan when he finally made it down to speak to her.

He sighed. 'Not another one.'

'Yes,' she said. 'Calleigh mentioned it to Valera, who mentioned it to Eric, who mentioned it to Horatio who mentioned it to me, and I had already noticed.'

'What a grapevine,' Ryan muttered.

'You lot would not be criminalists if you couldn't tell when something isn't right.' She pointed imperiously at the table. 'Sit.'

Ryan considered fleeing at this point.

Alexx didn't look around. 'I said sit. If you even think about running, I have back-up.'

Eric looked around the door. 'You got him, Alexx?' He gave Ryan a grin.

'This is persecution,' Ryan said.

'Calleigh was going to come and we were going to hold him down, but she's busy,' Eric said. 'I reckon I could rugby tackle him if he tries to make a break for freedom, though.'

'It's a conspiracy,' Ryan muttered. Then he frowned. 'Rugby, Eric?'

Eric shrugged, dismissing this comment. 'Everyone agreed – you're to sit there and tell Alexx exactly what is wrong with you or we're going to pin you down, sedate you and cart you off to hospital. Then we will find out what's wrong with you and have you force fed medication until you're better.' He grinned again. 'Valera suggested you get handcuffed to the bed, but we all decided that was a bit – well – '

Alexx looked away, hiding a smile.

'Why are you sniggering?' Ryan demanded of her. He looked at Eric. 'Why is she sniggering? Why are you sniggering?'

'You'd think a criminalist would be more observant,' Alexx said to Eric.

'He's not always the sharpest tool in the box,' Eric observed.

'Will you lot just leave me along?' Ryan said angrily. He hopped off of the table and walked towards the door. Eric stepped in front of him, took hold of his arms, and walked him back towards Alexx.

'Let go!' Ryan snapped then turned a dirty look on Alexx as she popped a thermometer into his mouth.

She smiled. 'Don't give me that look, honey,' she said quite calmly.

Ryan rolled his eyes and his shoulders slumped as he gave in. 'Ah m nt un o yo chiden ou oh,' he said indistinctly.

'What?' Eric asked.

Alexx removed the thermometer and examined it. Her smile faded.

'I said I'm not one of your children, you know,' Ryan said to Alexx.

'What is it?' Eric asked.

'Sky high,' she said, all joking gone. 'Ryan, how have you been feeling?'

He shrugged. 'A little off colour. I had major surgery two months ago, it's to be expected.'

'Feeling hot? Headaches? Aching muscles? Dizziness? What about the wound, is it healed?' Alexx asked him.

He shrugged again. 'Headache, but that's not surprising, is it? I've been working hard. And I did tell you that I thought I was coming down with a cold. It's nothing, I'm fine.'

'Don't lie!' Alexx said angrily and poked him in the shoulder.

Eric looked a little surprised at Ryan didn't get angry at her. He looked annoyed, but didn't say anything.

'Show me the scar,' Alexx told him.

He stared at her. 'What!'

'Show me the surgery scar, Ryan,' she said patiently.

'No.'

'Ryan.'

'No.'

'Fine,' she snapped. 'Have it your way.'

'There's nothing wrong with me,' he insisted.

She turned on him. 'You go and see your doctor,' Alexx told him in the sharp voice she rarely used with anyone. 'Not next week, Ryan, not in two weeks, not when you can get an appointment. You go get an emergency appointment, today. Understand, Ryan? Today! If your doctor won't see you, go to the ER.'

'I'm a bit off-colour,' Ryan protested. 'I'm not dying, Alexx!'

The look she shot him with white-hot with fury. 'Just do it, Ryan!'

Even Eric took a step backwards.

Ryan got off the table and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

'That was a bit harsh,' Eric commented.

'He didn't need to slam the door,' Alexx complained.

'I wasn't just talking about him,' Eric said.

Alexx looked irritated. 'He needs to see a doctor.'

'Why?'

She sighed. 'I think he might have an infection from the surgery. It happens occasionally, but it still needs to be sorted out.' She gave him a hard look. 'I have had people who died of surgery infections they didn't get checked out on that table, Eric. Let Horatio and Calleigh know Ryan's been ordered to see the doctor and you go on at him until he goes.'

'Understood,' Eric said, smiling.

* * *

As it happened, Ryan never actually got to see his doctor. 

He walked down towards the trace lab. He had a few things left to do there before he finished his shift. He was walking past the DNA lab when Valera poked her head out of the door. 'Hey,' she said. 'You seen Eric?'

'Why?'

She went back into the lab. Ryan followed her. 'I have some results for him,' she explained. 'You know, his robbery case.'

'Robbery,' Ryan said glumly. 'Sounds fun.'

'More fun than being in the lab, you mean,' she said.

'Yeah,' he said. They shared a smile.

There was a brief pause. 'Ryan,' she said slowly.

'Can I ask you something?'

'Sure,' Ryan said. He set out a hand and leant on the table. 'What – what is it?'

'Well, I – ' She stopped and gave him a funny look. 'Something wrong?'

He shook his head. 'I'm – fine.'

'You don't look it.' She reached out a hand.

He yanked his arm away. 'I'm fine!' he snarled. 'Why does everyone keep on at me? There's nothing wrong with me!' He staggered and crashed into the table. Equipment flew everywhere, crashing with the sounds of breaking glass.

'Well done!' she yelled at him. 'Thanks, Ryan! I think you just screwed up most of my day's work!'

Ryan stared at her silently for a moment, then collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.

'Okay, I wasn't that mad – ' Valera began. 'Ryan? Ryan, are you okay?' She shook him and when he didn't respond she ran for the door.

Alexx was walking past. She gave Valera a confused look. 'Something wrong?'

'Ryan just collapsed,' Valera said urgently. 'I don't know what's wrong with him – '

Alexx pushed past her and knelt down beside him. 'Call an ambulance,' she said without looking around. 'Ryan, can you hear me sweetie? Ryan, stay with me – we're going to get you to hospital!' She checked his breathing, and laid a hand on his forehead. His skin was hot, feverish to the touch. 'Stay with us,' she said gently. 'You can't die on us now, Ryan.'

'I heard Ryan collapsed,' Horatio said.

'Very spectacularly, by Valera's account,' Eric said without humour. 'What's wrong with him, Alexx?'

'He has an infection,' she said. She looked angry. 'In the surgery wounds that repaired the damage from the bullet injuries.'

'What kind of infection?' Horatio asked.

Her mouth tightened into an angry line. 'The kind you get when something gets left behind in surgery.'

'What!' Calleigh exclaimed, looking horrified. 'What did you say?'

'A surgical swab,' Alexx said, barely able to speak, she was so angry. 'Got left inside him. Grew an infection, which might just kill him.'

'He could die?' Calleigh said, shocked.

Alexx nodded. Her expression was now grim. 'He's on antibiotics and an drip. They're doing everything they can, but the infection is so wife spread they don't know if he'll live.'

'What's his condition?'

'Unstable and critical,' Alexx replied. 'He could die at any time.'

'Right,' Horatio said softly. 'This is the plan. I will contact his family. I want someone to find out who the surgeon was.'

'How are relations with his family?' Calleigh asked.

'I don't know,' Horatio admitted. 'Hopefully, better. And people can take it in turns to stay here.'

* * *


	5. Recovery

**Recovery**

'Think of the irony,' Eric said.

Ryan gave him a bemused look. He was propped up in his hospital bed with a IV drip poking in his arm and was feeling awful. But conscious, which had to be an improvement to unconscious. 'What irony?'

'The case I got you working on. Talk about signs, right?'

'Whatever,' Ryan said with little humour.

'The question is,' Eric said. 'How many times can one man end up in hospital with life-threatening issues in one year?'

Ryan gave him a tired stare. 'I would laugh,' he said in a hoarse voice. 'Honestly, I would, but I really can't.' He closed his eyes.

'You look better than a couple of days ago,' Eric said. 'We're just relieved that you didn't die this time. You really need to stop getting yourself landed in hospital.'

'Thanks, I'll try,' Ryan said dryly. 'What happened?'

'No one's told you yet?'

'No.'

'You collapsed in the lab. Gave us all one hell of a scare, Wolfe. We honestly thought you were going to die this time.'

Ryan closed his eyes briefly. 'I feel terrible.'

'You look it,' Eric agreed.

'Thanks,' Ryan said dryly.

'You're welcome.' Eric sat back. 'This is getting to be a habit, isn't it? All of us standing a bedside vigil in case you snuff it in the middle of the night.'

Ryan blinked. 'It's the middle of the day.'

'Not the point. You could have kicked the bucket at any time.'

'Your concern is touching.' Ryan struggled to sit up properly and winced.

'You ever heard of the concept of taking it easy?' Eric asked.

'Never heard of it,' Ryan replied. He rubbed a hand over his stomach and grimaced in pain. 'What happened? Specifically? They open me up again?'

Eric looked around. 'Oh, is that the time?' he said hurriedly. 'I had better be going – I think Alexx is coming in – ' He scurried out of the door.

'Wimp,' Alexx told him as she passed him in the corridor.

'Why is he a wimp?' Ryan asked. His head hurt. He desperately needed a drink.

'Because he is,' she said, sitting down. She smiled. 'How are you feeling, sweetie?'

'Awful,' he replied. 'Alexx, what happened to me? Eric wasn't exactly – specific.'

'You've been feeling bad for a while, right?' she asked.

He nodded.

'You should have seen a doctor days ago,' she added. 'You collapsed in the DNA lab and got rushed into hospital. The doctors stabilised you, then ran some tests. You had contracted a serious infection, which was rooted in the wound from your surgery to remove those bullets. You went into exploratory surgery, they opened you up and found the cause of the infection.' She paused. 'A swab left over from the surgery.'

Ryan stared at her. 'I think I'm going to be sick.'

'You were,' Alexx said without any trace of irony. 'This is the first time you've regained consciousness. For the past week there's been someone here, your family or from the lab. We all thought you were going to die. Even the doctors predicted you were going to die.'

Ryan clamped a hand against his mouth. 'Alexx, I really am going to be sick.'

Deftly, she grabbed a bowl from the table and shoved it under his nose just as he vomited violently.

'Poor baby,' she said gently. 'It's okay now. You're okay now.' She saw his face go pale. 'Ryan, breath,' she said. 'Don't faint on me, please.'

He blinked. 'I'm – okay – sorry – ' He collapsed back onto the pillows.

'No need to be,' she said, stroking his hair. 'It's a shock, sweetie. Just keep breathing, okay?'

He nodded, trying to breath slowly and evenly. His vision kept blurring and there was a faint ringing in his ears. Now his stomach felt like it was on fire. 'Okay,' he said. 'Do we have grounds to sue the surgeon?'

'That's your first question?' she inquired.

'I wasn't sure if he was already going to be charged with negligence.' Ryan took the glass of water she passed him, took a mouthful and rinsed his mouth out, spitting it into the bowl. He drank the rest. 'I only ask because that's the first thing my family will do, if I know them. They'll sue him.'

'That's right,' she said wryly. 'Think positively.'

'Has my family been in?'

'Yes,' she said. 'Your parents came back off of holiday as soon as they could and your sister has been visiting. I sent her off home a couple of hours ago, though. And your Aunt came to see you.'

'May?' he said, smiling. 'Auntie May? Great, she's the other black sheep of the family. How is she?'

'She was fine,' Alexx said. 'Everyone else has been in to see you, and you got another get well card – getting quite a collection now, aren't you?'

'I'll frame them all,' Ryan replied, rather weakly.

There was knock at the door. Horatio looked in and smiled. 'Ah, you're awake,' he said pleasantly. 'Good. You're off work for the foreseeable future, Ryan.'

Ryan groaned.

'Serves you right,' Alexx told him. 'Next time you've had major surgery and are suffering from all the signs of serious infection, or you notice that a surgery scar is refusing to heal and getting incredibly painful – '

'Thank you for that lecture,' Ryan muttered.

She ignored this. ' – then maybe you will go and see your doctor.' She got up. 'And I am going to go and get a cup of coffee. Be back soon.' She exchanged a meaningful glance with Horatio as she left. Horatio smiled and sat down to have a chat with Ryan.

* * *

'Can I see Dr Fielding, or is he in surgery?' Alexx asked a harassed looking nurse who pointed her towards an office before hurrying back to work.

Alexx knocked on the door and went in without waiting for a reply.

The man sat inside looked up and gave her a nasty smile. 'Ah, Alexx Woods,' he said with a feigned smile. 'How may I help you?'

'Don't pretend to be nice to me,' she said shortly.

'What are you doing here?' he asked. 'Not merely for the pleasure of my company. I seem to remember you shooting some rather harsh words at me last time we met. I seem to also remember you calling me stupid and incompetent.'

'You're worse than that,' Alexx said coldly. 'You almost ended up with a charge of manslaughter.'

He raised his eyebrows. 'I'm sorry?' he said with a charming.

'Don't pretend you don't know,' she spat. 'Ryan Wolfe, one of your patients, who you operated on a few weeks ago, nearly died of an infection caused by you leaving a surgical swab inside him. If he had died then you would be looking at a charge of manslaughter.'

'You can't pin that on me,' he said, his smile being replaced by a smirk.

'No,' she agreed. 'He hasn't died and you're lucky he didn't. But you will be looking at a lawsuit from Wolfe's family.'

'I'm so scared,' he murmured.

'His family comprises of several lawyers,' she said and had the distinct pleasure of seeing the smirk slid off his face. 'The Wolfe family. I believe they have a family practise.'

'This is personal, isn't it, Alexx,' Fielding said.

'This is the second one of my friends you've nearly killed with your incompetence,' she said angrily.

'So, it is personal.' He smiled again. 'Who was it this time? A friend? Someone you work with?'

'CSI,' she said. 'One of Horatio Caine's CSIs.'

'And Lieutenant Caine doesn't like it when harm comes to any of his team. Alexx, I am very sorry about the CSI – '

'If you were sorry, then you wouldn't make stupid mistakes,' she said. 'You wouldn't put people's lives at risk through your own incompetence. Just thought I should let you know that I still think you shouldn't be practising medicine, let alone being a surgeon.' Before he could reply, she left, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

'You didn't get any coffee, then,' Ryan said when Alexx returned.

She blinked, then said quickly, 'It was mud. I'll get something when I go back to work. Speaking of which, you need to get some rest.'

'And we need to get back to work,' Horatio agreed. 'We'll come and see you again, Ryan.'

'Thanks for coming,' Ryan said as they left.

'Well?' Horatio said to Alexx.

'Well what?'

'Well, did you find Dr Fielding?'

She smiled. 'How did you know?'

'You had that look in your eye. Ever since you found out who the surgeon was. There's a history there, I suppose?'

'He's incompetent,' she said grimly. 'I'll just say this is the second time his incompetence has almost cost one of my friends their life. I think I left him in mortal fear of you and Ryan's family who probably will sue him.'

Horatio smiled. 'Good.'

'I thought so.'

They both smiled and left the hospital.

* * *

Finished! I'm currently working on a cross-over between Miami and Vegas CSI, but that's not finished yet, so I will be spending the next few weeks deprived of sleep, functioning solely on cups of tea and adrenaline. Wish me luck, all!

Note: The Dr Fielding vs. Alexx thing is something I might work into one of my next fics, which is why it's there. It's not an allusion to any of the episodes, in case anyone was wondering what on earth I was talking about. It just might turn up in another fic, or it might not. All depends!


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